MERCILESS (The Mermen Trilogy #3) by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff Page A

patients just bit the bullet.”
    Oh no . These guys were going to pick off the mermen in their bungalows one by one.
    Another gunshot rang through the air off in the distance.
    “Another one bites the dust.” The man smiled.
    “Fine, Freddie Mercury,” Liv blurted out. “I’ll take you.”
    The man gave her a strange, irritated look.
    Not a Queen fan, huh?
    He looked back at his men. “One of you start going through the cargo hold and see what’s down there. We’ll be setting up camp here, so we’ll be needing any supplies they brought. And kill these people if I’m not back in an hour.” He turned his attention to Liv. “Lead the way.”
    With a gun to her back, Liv glanced over her shoulder and gave Dana a comforting smile. How the hell had she ended up on the plane?
    It was as if the island had carefully orchestrated this entire event, like a tragic Shakespearean play. Maybe the island wanted revenge on those who’d wronged or disobeyed her, so she’d brought these depraved criminals to torture and kill everyone. But then why had the island made a deal with her? The island asked for her life in return for the water to save the men. And why the hell would the island tell this man about the place, but not tell him where to find the water? I mean, why stop at just leading him to the shore?
    They were being played and manipulated. There was no doubt.
    “Move it, lady,” the bald man said.
    Liv looked up at the sky—just for a moment—praying for strength and some help. She noticed the sun just coming up. This would make it harder for her to get away and warn everyone. But Amelia knew the plane was here. Maybe she saw the men.
    “I said move!” The bald man turned his gun around and hit Liv between the shoulder blades, causing her to stumble her way down the stairs.
    Wow. I didn’t think there could be anything worse than mermen. But for all of their vile, archaic, and ruthless ways, at least they behaved according to some rules. They believed that their natural advantages—strength, looks, endurance, and the natural attraction women had for them—were fair play, like a tiger had a right to use its teeth and claws. Yes, that made them opportunistic assholes. But these men were a completely different breed. Monsters. They lived by no codes, they didn’t care about anything but their own greed, and they were the sort of men who preyed on the weak. Working in a battered women’s shelter had taught her to spot them a mile away.
    There would be no persuading them to leave or behave reasonably. She got that now.
    “You touch me again,” she growled, “and I’ll personally feed you to the maids.”
    He laughed. “And the butlers, too? How about the chauffeur?”
    “I’m talking about those creatures on the beach,” Liv clarified.
    The man laughed. “Yes, those little hermit crabs were scary. Now move your ass,” the man said, “or I’ll shoot you in the stomach so you die slowly.”
    They hadn’t seen the maids? Strange.
    Without a word, she turned toward the Great Hall, and it suddenly dawned on her. If Amelia got away, she would go straight to Roen. And Roen would come running, too weak to fight and definitely outnumbered. There were over a hundred of these assholes somewhere on the island.
    Shit. She had to do something. Quickly. This was going to be up to her to settle.
     

CHAPTER ELEVEN
    “Where the fuck is the water?” The bald man slapped Liv across the cheek, sending her flying onto the cold stone floor of the Great Hall.
    Liv wiped the blood off her mouth with the back of her hand. Asshole! “I told you,” she said, “the island is sick. There is no more water.” These men would see no reason to let anyone live once they had what they wanted, so she wasn’t about to tell them jack.
    He picked her up by the collar of her T-shirt and slapped her again. She flew back, nearly hitting the carved wood throne. Motherfucker.
    Leaning forward on both hands, trying to stop the room from